Dining with the Lord Mayor

Last night, I had dinner with the Lord Mayor. How comes? Let me tell you, it's a kind of a long story.
Volker had come for a short visit to Berlin, to meet his friend and boss Bernard John Buecker (called Ben) from last year in San Antonio. Of course he stayed with me. He arrived late in the evening, we shared some barcelino and chatted until midnight, and got up for a very early breakfast after barely six hours of sleep.
Ben, honorary consul of Germany in San Antonio, was head of a delegation of his city council to Germany, and took the chance to meet all the german advocats who had worked with him over the years. Volker was especially dear to him, and was invited to join the delegation in Berlin - to the offices of the chancellor and the Berlin Lord Mayor.
When Ben learned about me, he invited me, too. How very nice! Unfortunately I had to move office at ver.di that day, and was occupied for hours creeping around the floor to fix cables, moving books and files, and fixing our hard- and software. But I managed to get home, take a shower, dress up to the occasion, and arrive at the red town hall in time to the meeting with Wowereit, the Lord Mayor of Berlin.
He didn't turn up, though, but sent another mayor. At least we were sitting in the parliament room, around the huge table and in the posh chairs, and I was seated right besides the Lord Mayor - of San Antonio, Texas. Actually, all the germans thought I was a member of the delegation. ;)
The talks were very interesting, indeed, giving insights into the way the americans see their future, now with Obama being president they hope for quite some changes to the better. And listening to what Berlin senate members think about their city and its future, came as a surprise in some ways, as well.
Later we had dinner at "Letzte Instanz", a very old tavern from 1621 in an area of cobbled streets and low houses, surrounded by courts, famous with tourists, but not up to the expectations in my opinion. I left shortly after 10 pm, but Volker stayed on, and came back home to my flat hardly two hours before he had to leave again to the airport. It was nice to have had him!
And chatting with Phil Hardberger, the Lord Mayor, and his wife during the dinner was enjoyable!